Where Are They Now? The Original 'Lost In Space' Cast
By | April 11, 2019
Marta Kristen and Mark Goddard of 'Lost In Space.' Source: IMDB
For fans of the original "Danger Will Robinson!" show, Lost In Space, the stranded Robinson family is headed by Guy Williams and June Lockhart, and includes Marta Kristen, Bill Mumy, and Angela Cartwright (Mark Goddard and Jonathan Harris are around too). A new Lost In Space, -- the show's fourth iteration -- debuted last year on Netflix, with an outstanding cast and special effects that gave young Millennials a taste of what the Baby Boomers hold dear. Sure, a few things have changed. Apparently, the robot has some sex appeal now. But the nuts and bolts are mostly the same. The Robinson family is still “Lost In Space” and forced to fend off strange aliens and shocking betrayal. Nevertheless, the original Lost In Space, which aired from 1965-68, holds a charm and nostalgia that even new fangled sexy robots could never match. So if you’ve ever wondered where the original crew of the Jupiter 2 ended up, read on!
Marta Kristen Then
Marta Kristen and Tommy Kirk from the Walt Disney film Savage Sam.
From Norwegian orphan to foxy eldest space daughter, Marta Kristen easily claims the most unlikely back story of the Lost In Space cast. Unfortunately, her career in TV and movies didn’t come with the same level of intrigue as her backstory. She did work in television for years, finding bit parts in TV shows like Murphy Brown, Strange Voices, and this year in a show called The Vamps Next Door.
Marta Kristen Today
Marta Kristen in 2018. Source: Wikimedia Commons
Makers of the 1998 Lost In Space movie slipped her in as reporter #1 for hardcore fans. If you’d like to meet the gracefully aging beauty, she still attends Sci-fi conventions from time to time. Today, she lives in Santa Monica, California with her two rescue dogs.
June Lockhart Then
June Lockhart with Lassie and Jon Provost in 'Lassie,' and with Angela Cartwright and Marta Kristen in 'Lost In Space.' Source: IMDB
The mother of the Robinson family, who had a whole 'nother TV life beforehand, in Lassie, is also the longest-running actor of the clan. Incredibly, at age 91(!) June Lockhart co-starred in an indie film called The Remake. Since the end of Lost In Space, she worked tirelessly. Seriously, her IMDB page is as long a CVS receipt. Her roles were not in small shows either.
June Lockhart Now
Goddard Space Flight Center Engineer Richard Nafzger, actress June Lockhart and Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin at the 61st Primetime Emmy Engineering Awards on August 22, 2009. Source: Wikimedia Commons
Her impressive resume includes appearances on The Drew Carey Show, Full House, Beverly Hills 90201, General Hospital, and Grey’s Anatomy! She, like Marta Kristen, made a small cameo in the 1998 Lost In Space Movie. The highlight of her career remains the Tony Award she won for her Broadway performance of For Love or Money. She also won the 1948 Associated Press citation for Woman of the Year for Drama and became an overnight Broadway sensation based off that standing ovation worthy performance.
Mark Goddard Then
Marta Kristen and Mark Goddard in 'Lost In Space.' Source: IMDB
The intrepid pilot of the Jupiter 2, Mark Goddard, likely felt the most conflicted by the original Lost In Space TV show. It took a turn from a darker, black and white sci-fi show to a goofy and light-hearted show when it changed to color. In 2015, Goddard said that he was, at the time, disappointed the show, “became campy instead of staying true to a science-fiction show, which would have been more like Star Trek. But it went the way it went. I don’t fault anyone.” Goddard was afraid the show could hurt his career, “I didn’t want the show to be a career buster, because Guy Williams told me at the time: ‘This show’s a career buster.’”
Mark Goddard Now
Mark Goddard. Source: themarkgoddard.com
Thankfully, it appears time heals all wounds as Goddard today holds an appreciation for the show’s cultural impact and the happiness it brings to its aging fan base. In that same interview, Goddard reveled in the nostalgia: “It brings you back to a time in your life that was good for most people — and for some not so good — but they have Lost in Space to fantasize about.” His career after the show extended for many years, mostly on television. Goddard wasn’t quite as prolific as Ms. Lockhart but he too made an appearance in the Lost In Space movie, as well as General Hospital.
Angela Cartwright Then
Left: Angela Cartwright o 'Lost In Space.' Right: Cartwright in a photo shoot for the cover of the Paul Mauriat album 'Theme From A Summer Place,' 1972. Source: IMDB; Pinterest
Playing the precocious youth Penny Robinson, Angela Cartwright at age 13, was already well into her acting career by 1965. Her first IMDB entry is an uncredited appearance on Somebody Up There Like Me. She was three years old at the time. Her big break came on Make Room For Daddy in 1953.
Angela Cartwright Now
Sisters Veronica and Angela Cartwright. Veronica is also an actress. Source: IMDB
As happens with many child actors, Cartwright’s acting career petered out by the early ‘80s. She, like everyone else from the TV show, made a cameo in the Lost In Space movie. Post-Lost In Space TV show, Cartwright took a few small parts in TV shows like The Love Boat, and Airwolf, but eventually transitioned into photography. Her work is on display at Studio City, Los Angeles.
Bill Mumy Then
Bill Mumy and Jonathan Harris of 'Lost In Space.' Source: IMDB
While we celebrated the prolific career of June Lockhart, the tech whiz-kid of the original Lost In Space cast, Bill Mumy, produced the most work post-1968. It may be difficult to believe but the fresh-faced boy wonder turned into a Renaissance man.
Bill Mumy Now
Actors Bill Mumy and Mark Hamill arrive for the Premiere Of Netflix's 'Lost In Space' Season 1. Source: (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)
Mumy’s acting career started before Lost In Space when he memorably played maybe the creepiest kid in Twilight Zone history. It also continued long after Lost In Space in such hits as Babylon 5, Star Trek Deep Space 9, Matlock, and many many more. He is also an accomplished musician, writer, songwriter, and composer. He is half of the musical duo Barnes and Barnes and wrote on more TV shows than you can imagine.
Guy Williams, 1924-1989
Guy Williams as Zorro (1957). Source: IMDB
Already famous for his pre-Lost In Space role as Zorro, Guy Williams steadily acted, leading up to his role as Prof. John Robinson. However, after Lost In Space he basically called it a career and moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina. According to a very candid interview with the Archive of American Television, Williams wasn’t particularly proud of the show and regretted his relationship with Jonathan Harris who played Dr. Smith. It appears he felt overshadowed by Harris. Williams passed away of a heart attack at age 65.
Jonathan Harris, 1914-2002
Jonathan Harris (center, in black sweater) with the cast of 'Lost In Space.' Source: IMDB
The villainous doctor turned comic relief never found success as a traditional actor after Lost In Space. He did, however, have a long-running career as a voice actor. From 1978 to 2000, Harris voiced characters on 19 different shows, mostly kid shows. Many twenty-somethings would be shocked to learn that some of the voices on Paddington Bear, Darkwing Duck, Gargoyles, Mighty Ducks, Quack Pack, and Spider-Man were Jonathan Harris. Harris died in 2002.
