The cast of “Leave It to Beaver” received devastating news after they lost Ken Osmond in 2020. Osmond played Tony Dow’s friend Eddie Haskell on the series. Then, in the summer of 2021, Dow landed in the hospital with a case of pneumonia. His wife Lauren clarified that the actor didn’t have COVID-19 and said, “On behalf of Tony and myself we thank you for your concern for him,” per TMZ. Dow made it out but he delivered even worse health news less than a year later. The actor and Lauren shared that Dow was diagnosed with cancer, but did not specify the type, TMZ reported.
For much of his life, Dow lived with another health issue. Since landing the role of Wally on “Leave It to Beaver” as a 12-year-old, for a time, he became known only for that character into his 20s. This led to anger, which he says turned inward. Dow went through a low period and, although he didn’t know what it was at the time, looking back, he admitted to feeling depressed. “It’s had a lot of effect on my life,” Dow revealed to CBS about his depression. “It’s something that you have no control over,” Dow added. Fortunately, Dow teamed up with a psychiatrist and doctors prescribed experimental medicine, which he said helped with the depression. Even in 2022, he credited medicine with helping him avoid certain triggers that could exacerbate certain symptoms of his depression.
Nicki
