Beloved ABC Actress Dead at 53 Due to Alzheimer’s Complications

In 1989, ABC broke all kinds of barriers when it aired the new series, Life Goes On. It was the first major television series to center around individuals with intellectual disabilities. The show told the story of the Thatcher family — Libby and Drew and their three young children, Becca, Paige, and Corky — as they try to navigate their lives and the challenges that come with them. The key storyline revolved around Corky, a young man with Down Syndrome.

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In the series, Corky gets a job at the local movie theater, where he meets Amanda Swanson — a young woman who also has Down Syndrome. The two begin dating, fall in love, and eventually get married. Amanda was played by actress Andrea Fay Friedman.

Sadly, we have learned that Andrea Friedman has passed away. She was just 53 years old.

According to her father Hal, who spoke to The New York Times, the adored actress died due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease.

She died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease, according to her father, Hal Friedman. He said that she had not been able to speak for the past year because of the disease, which is common in people with Down syndrome who are over 50.

Ms. Friedman was known for her portrayals of people with developmental disabilities. She called her Down syndrome her “up syndrome,” Mr. Friedman said in a phone interview.

According to her father, Ms. Friedman got involved in acting while she was working at a childcare center in Los Angeles. A parent of one of the children was writing music for Life Goes On and suggested that Friedman pitch some of her ideas to the show’s producers. Eventually, she convinced the producers to add a second character who also had Down Syndrome.

Originally, she was only supposed to appear in one episode of the show. But her father said that the producers and showrunners loved her so much that they decided to make her a series regular.

Related: ABC Star Dead at 43 After Mental Health Struggles

After Life Goes On, Friedman appeared in a number of hit shows, including Law & Order: Special Victim’s Unit, Baywatch, Walker: Texas Ranger, ER, and Family Guy. 

Her role in Family Guy was somewhat controversial. In the show, she voiced Ellen, a teenage girl with Down Syndrome who said that her mom “was the former Governor of Alaska.” That garnered a reaction from former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, whose son has Down Syndrome. Palin called the show “cruel”.

Friedman responded to Palin’s claims, saying that the former Republican Vice Presidential nominee “does not have a sense of humor. I think the word is ‘sarcasm.’”

Friedman’s last role was in the 2019 film, Carol of the Bells. The film is centered around a troubled young man who is searching for his biological mother, only to learn that she is developmentally disabled. Carol of the Bells also starred RJ Mitte as Scott Johnson, Lee Purcell as Lilliane, and Donna Mills as Helen Harris. Friedman played the titular woman, Carol Harris.

In addition to her roles in film and television, Friedman was also the subject of a 2009 documentary, A Possible Dream: The Andrea Friedman Story.

Ms. Friedman leaves behind her father, Hal, her sister, Katherine, and her nephews, Lawson and Andrew.

We send our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the friends and family of Andrea Friedman.