After the Rolling Stone exposé went over with little consequence, besides losing Coca-Cola and a getting a few execs uptight, Cassidy realized he was stuck with the TV show commitment. Letting it all hang out, the teen idol could have lost his job at ABC, and it would have been a break for him.
He barely had time to keep up with his schedule between playing sold-out stadiums on worldwide tours and taping episodes at home. And, frankly, he preferred a rock star image to a goody-two-shoes family entertainer. When he didn’t sign for season five, the show was over. There was no way he could keep up his recording and touring schedule, it had already been taking a toll on his health. Something had to give.
Olivia Newton-John as Laurie?
Sure. Why not? The truth is, Olivia Newton-John was the producers’ first choice to play Laurie Partridge.
To further complicate things, Susan Dey, the sweet-faced girl who got the role of Laurie on The Partridge Family, was almost cast as Sandy in the 1978 hit musical “Grease!”
Where’s Fido?
In season one, there was a pet dog named Simone. The Benji-look-alike didn’t make the cut. When season two rolled around, the family pet had disappeared without explanation.
As far as we know, this change-up in the cast also brought in no complaint letters from fans.
Susan Dey Wants Nothing to Do with Cast Reunions
Susan Dey, the actress who brought us, Laurie Partridge, has no interest in participating in cast reunions. When Shirley Jones was asked about it, she explained, “[Susan] and David had grown apart, and nowadays they are completely out of touch, which hurts David tremendously.”
Jones went on to say, “I was also hurt that out of everyone on the show, only Susan consistently refuses to take part in any TV reunions of The Partridge Family.” One can only hope that she’ll have a change of heart and join her former cast once again!
How Many Hollywood Celebrities Guest Starred on ‘The Partridge Family?’
A lot. We already know two Wizard of Oz stars had small roles, and we know the legendary Johnny Cash played a gig with the family. But, did you know that two of the three Charlie’s Angels, one of the decade’s most popular shows celebrating sexy supermodels playing secret agents, made an appearance? Angels Cheryl Ladd and Farrah Fawcett stopped by.
Mark Hamill, the beloved Luke Skywalker, also guest-starred. There’s a long list of famous visitors including Jodie Foster, Howard Cosell, Rob Reiner, the late Louis Gossett Jr., Maureen Reagan (Ronald Reagan’s daughter), and Dick Clark (king of the charts).