Inside the nostalgic original Sound of Music cast: where are the Von Trapp kids now?

The Sound of Music remains an iconic film that nostalgic families can't resist switching on at Christmas time for a trip down memory lane. Yet where are the actors and actresses who portrayed the Von Trapp kids now? The movie featured seven children aged between five and 16 - and those who survived are scarcely recognisable in comparison to how they appeared when the world first discovered them. Tragically, two of the original child cast members died in devastating circumstances, leaving just five behind.

The eldest, Charmian Carr, who played Liesl at the age of 21, succumbed to frontotemporal dementia and died aged in 2016 aged 73. She'd never had a singing lesson before and acting had not so much as entered her head when she was signed up for the film, as she'd been studying speech therapy at the time - and she swiftly left showbiz to start a family afterwards. Nostalgic musical fans will be intrigued to know that Charmian bravely soldiered through her dance scene with Rolf in the gazebo "in agony", as the costume department had overlooked the non-slip pads that should have been in her shoes.



Heather Menzies, who portrayed Louisa Von Trapp, was aged just 14 when she discovered and, like Charmian, hadn't had any acting experience before. However, her angelic voice and the heartrending scenes of her rescuing someone from drowning kickstarted her career on-screen - and she went on to appear in numerous TV series and films, as well as Playboy magazine. She married fellow acting legend Robert Ulrich until his death in 2002, and was known for her advocacy work for cancer patients and their families, before ultimately falling prey to cancer herself.

Heather died of a brain tumour in 2017, a year after Charmian's passing, and had been aged just 68. Nicholas Hammond (Friedrich von Trapp) is still alive, although totally unrecognisable from his early scenes as a floppy-haired blond boy of 14 - and the 74-year-old now resides in Australia. However, he is well known for taking the lead role of Peter Parker, aka Spiderman himself, in 1970s TV series The Amazing Spiderman, and still works as an actor, writer and director in the industry today.

Duane Chase (Kurt von Trapp) is also unrecognisable, but his career path couldn't have been more different from some of his co-stars, as he went on to net a "sensible" job as a geologist and computer software analyst in Seattle. Angela Cartwright melted hearts as Brigitta von Trapp, but her dark brown locks have since been dyed blonde and styled into a bob, making her unrecognisable compared to her early beginnings too. She dabbled in acting after the Sound of Music, and interested fans can still check out her starring role in the Lost in Space series, but she subsequently left the profession to focus on her work as an artist, author and photographer.

Debbie Turner, who played Martha von Trapp, is fully embracing the Christmas spirit after going on to specialise in designing Santa Claus dolls; after her four daughters grew up, she also continued to work as a floral and events designer/artist. Finally, little Gretl Von Trapp, just five years old at the time, was portrayed by Kym Karath, who also dabbled in the acting world afterwards. However, one of her biggest priorities has been advocating for children with disabilities and co-founding the Creative Steps program, a decision driven by a desire to help her special needs son.

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