River Phoenix Also Appeared on the Show
River Phoenix was another celebrity appearance on “Family Ties”. Featured in one 1985 episode of the show, a 15-year old Phoenix took on the role of Eugene Forbes, a 14-year old mathematical prodigy responsible for tutoring Alex.
Sadly, just 8 years later, Phoenix tragically passed away at the young age of 23.
The “Family Ties” Appearance of Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Most recognized for her role as Elaine on “Seinfeld”, or the POTUS on the HBO hit TV series, “Veep”—among many others—believe it or not, Louis-Dreyfus also appeared on “Family Ties” in 1988. On “Family Ties”, she played a lawyer by the name of Susan “Raindrop” White, who appeared on Season 6.
Prior to her starring role on Seinfeld, Dreyfus appeared on NBC’s Saturday Night Live (SNL), a role which would lead Louis-Dreyfus to drop out of college at the age of 21 and move to New York City to pursue her dreams as an actress. She would remain a regular SNL cast member up until 1985. Louis-Dreyfus later expanded her acting career to film in 1986, with small roles in the fantasy-horror film “Troll,” and, more notably, in Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters.
The Joseph Gordon-Levitt Experience
A very young Joseph Gordon-Levitt also appeared on the series, in not just one, but two episodes of “Family Ties". Playing the role of Dougie—a friend of Andrew’s (the youngest child of the Keaton family), Gordon-Levitt was seven-years-old at the time the episodes were shot. Though he may not have known it at the time, Gordon-Levitt would go on to have a truly iconic acting career.
Since his role on “Family Ties”, Gordon-Levitt went on to play roles in box office hits, including Inception and (500) Days of Summer. Additionally, many more would come to know and recognize Gordon-Levitt for his role on over 100 episodes of “3rd Rock from the Sun,” where he took on the role of extraterrestrial teenager Tommy Solomon.
Christina Applegate’s Iconic “Family Ties” Cameo
We can also add the beautiful and talented Christina Applegate to the list of star guest appearances! On "Family Ties" Applegate took on the role of Kitten, who was an addition to Jennifer’s band. Since then, Applegate has gone on to establish herself as a successful actress in Hollywood, starting with the career-changing role of Kelly Bundy on the FOX sitcom “Married…with Children".
In the world of film, Applegate’s credits include Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, The Sweetest Thing, Anchorman, Hall Pass, and yes, even Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. Applegate has won a number of awards and nominations, including four Emmy nominations, and an Emmy award for ‘Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series” in 2003, for her role as Amy Green in the hit NBC comedy series, “Friends.”
Even David Faustino Made an Appearance
Like Applegate, Faustino also began his career with an appearance on “Family Ties,” which, many years later, would land him a role alongside Applegate on the TV show, “Married…with Children.” During his time on “Family Ties,” Faustino played the role of little Keith Bailey—a role he secured in 1983.
Beyond “Family Ties” and “Married…with Children,” Faustino has also acted in a wide array of TV shows, including “Entourage”—in which he plays himself—, as well as the character Tater on one 2013 episode of “Modern Family”