It’s a Wonderful Life’s Karolyn Grimes Is a Mom of 7 at 82 – She Quit Hollywood after Family Drama

Karolyn Grimes stopped acting as a teenager after experiencing a family tragedy. The “It’s a Wonderful Life” actress then focused her life on being a parent when she welcomed her seven children.

On “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Karolyn Grimes played the role of Zuzu Bailey, George Bailey’s youngest daughter. The child star became a hit film and said a line that would be quoted for years after her appearance in the movie.

At one point in the 1946 classic, she told George that her teacher told them that an angel got its wings every time a bell rang. In 2021, the actress, 82 in 2022, confessed she hadn’t anticipated the line becoming unique to many people.

James Stewart as George Bailey and Karolyn Grimes as his daughter Zuzu Bailey, in a scene from “It’s a Wonderful Life” in 1946 | Source: Getty Images

The star admitted that she was “thrilled” to have been the one who said the words and got the part in that particular scene. Grimes believed the film had hundreds of people watching it, and in 2021, she was one of ten surviving cast members.

In December of that year, the star was busy appearing in holiday gift shows, screenings, and movie memorabilia conventions. What was most rewarding for her was starring in New York’s annual “It’s A Wonderful Life” festival which she’d attended for nearly 20 years.

The actress was still quite busy despite having retired from acting as a teenager. People tended not to recognize her when she was out and about; however, when they realized she starred in the movie as Zuzu, their faces lit up!

Karolyn Grimes posing in a black and white photo with a teddybear in June 1946 | Source: Getty Images

Grimes stopped her acting career years before at a very young age. The decision had more to do with her personal life than with Hollywood or the craft that had helped her star in several movies.

Why Did Karolyn Stop Acting?

Grimes once revealed how she became an orphan when she was 15 and was sent to live in the Midwest in a small town. When she was 12, she lost her mother to early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Karolyn Grimes at the Chiller Theatre Expo on October 26, 2012, in Parsippany, New Jersey | Source: Getty Images

Her father died in a car crash three years later, and a court forced the actress to move to Missouri. The star, an only child, had to live with her strict uncle and aunt, whom she labeled “religious fanatics.”

The couple who took her in didn’t believe in dancing, singing, watching movies, and laughing, so she was forced to retire from acting. Later in life, Grimes welcomed seven children who guessed she’d once been a child actress.

Karolyn Grimes at Jimmy Stewart’s wax figure unveiling of George Bailey at Madame Tussauds on November 29, 2010, in Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images

The offspring would take a photo of the star to their school’s show-and-tell sessions, but they didn’t comprehend or know the level of influence “It’s a Wonderful Life” had back then, with Grimes confessing:

“I didn’t raise them to think it was anything special. They were involved in sports. I cooked all the time. I lived in the car, the laundry room, and the kitchen.”

Karolyn Grimes at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presentation of “It’s A Wonderful Life” on December 12, 2011, in New York City | Source: Getty Images

The actress even watched Johnny Carson’s “The Tonight Show” when she had time to relax. The movie she was famous for didn’t perform well at the box office, and the Academy Awards shut it out despite having five nominations.

The first movie [Karolyn] Grimes starred in after 68 years was “Canaan Land.”

However, one day a reporter knocked on Grimes’ door and asked if she’d played the role of Zuzu before asking for an interview. The following week, the same thing happened and continued happening until the actress began receiving fan mail!

The star loved the letters and described them as “incredible.” The mother of seven noted how her fans loved the film and would thank her for being in it, and she felt it was a “great gift” she was given that wasn’t taken for granted, and she’s since kept busy in Hollywood.

Karolyn Returns: What Is Her Current Life Like?

Grimes welcomed her children through two marriages. After leaving Hollywood and its glamour, the star became a medical technologist, and she once revealed what she believed in the most, stating:

“I believe in the possibility of miracles.”

Karolyn Grimes at the Chiller Theatre Expo Fall 2019 on October 25, 2019, in Parsippany, New Jersey | Source: Getty Images

The actress toured regularly and spoke at film screenings while giving autographs and participating in Q&As. The star also got to write a cookbook inspired by “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

Some recipes were movie-related, like the Harry Bailey Hero Sandwich or the Henry Potter Pot Pie. In 2021, she lived with her third husband in Seattle and returned to television as an actress.

The first movie Grimes starred in after 68 years was “Canaan Land.” The former child star received the role of a talk show guest in the 2020 film, featuring other big names like Louis Gossett Jr. and Lynda Carter.

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