Angela Cartwright as Brigitta von Trapp
Angela Cartwright is an American actress who was born in England. She is one of the few von Trapp children who went on to have a successful acting career. Other than her portrayal of Brigitta von Trapp, she played Linda Williams, the stepdaughter, on The Danny Thomas Hour. Sadly, the show was cancelled when her TV father passed away suddenly from a heart attack. She went on to star in the cult sci-fi program Lost in Space, in the mid-sixties.
Today, Cartwright works as a professional photographer with over 30 years of experience and displays her work in her own gallery, in Studio City, LA. She has released several books about art in collaboration with fellow artist, Sarah Fishburn.
Heather Menzies as Louisa von Trapp
Heather Menzies, a young and inexperienced actress, was chosen to play the role of the third eldest von Trapp sibling in The Sound of Music. She was born in Canada, and Louisa von Trapp was her most famous acting role, along with her role as Jessica 6 on sci-fi series Logan’s Run.
In 1973, when she was 24, Menzies appeared in a Playboy spread entitled “Tender Trapp.” She was married for many years to prolific actor Robert Urich and the two had three children. Sadly, Heather Menzies passed away from brain cancer in 2017.
Duane Chase as Kurt von Trapp
Duane Dudley Chase was just 14 years old when he got the part of Kurt, the second von Trapp boy, in The Sound of Music. After the movie came out and he graduated from high school, Chase decided not to pursue acting and joined the United States Forestry Service in Santa Barbara, California. He attended UC Santa Barbara and graduated in 1976 with a B.S. in Geology, after which he enrolled in the University of Alabama and completed his master’s degree, also in geology.
He married a nurse by the name of Petra Maria, of German origin, and currently lives in Washington state and works as a software engineer who designs tools for geologists and geophysicists.
Debbie Turner as Marta von Trapp
Before she got the part of Marta von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Debbie Turner already had acting experience doing commercials and television shows with her siblings. After the release of the film, Debbie quit acting to focus on her education. As an adult she fostered an interest in interior design and eventually opened her own company, called “Debbie Turner Originals”, which specializes in event planning and floral decoration.
The company was given title of “Preferred Florist” for the 2008 Republican National Convention, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Although she decided not to pursue a career in the entertainment filed, Debbie is still in touch with her Sound of Music cast mates and has reunited with them for some TV appearances.
Kym Karath as Gretl von Trapp
Kym Karath played the youngest of the seven von Trapp children, Gretl, and who could forget her? She began acting at the incredible age of three and appeared in Spencer’s Mountain, The Thrill of It All, and Good Neighbor Sam. While talking with Ellen DeGeneres Julie Andrews said about Karath: “[The children] were all lovely.
However, the youngest one was probably the most difficult for me, because she was just a tad heavy in those days. Today, she is this amazing gorgeous looking Monroe-esque young lady.” Considering the source, that is a pretty amazing compliment.