Editing Brandon Cruz

{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{short description|American actor, musician, drug and alcohol recovery specialist}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Brandon Cruz
| image       = Courtship of Eddie's Father Brandon Cruz 1969.jpg
| image_size  = 190px
| alt         = 
| caption     = Brandon Cruz, circa 1969.
| birth_name  = Brandon Edwin Williams
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1962|5|28}}
| birth_place = [[Bakersfield, California]], U.S.
| death_date  =
| death_place =
| spouse      =  Elizabeth "Liz" Finkelstein<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.tvbanter.net/2021/10/keeping-up-with-brandon-cruz-from-child.html | title=Keeping up with Brandon Cruz: From child star to punk rocker }}</ref> (div. 2018)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/the-courtship-of-eddies-father-star-brandon-cruz-says-bill-bixby-deserves-more-recognition-in-hollywood|title='The Courtship of Eddie's Father' star Brandon Cruz says Bill Bixby deserves more recognition in Hollywood|website=[[Fox News]] |date=January 28, 2019}}</ref>
| children    =  2, including [[Ruby Cruz]]
| known_for   = ''[[The Courtship of Eddie's Father (TV series)|The Courtship of Eddie's Father]]''
| occupation  = Actor, singer, editor, consultant}}

'''Brandon Cruz''' (born '''Brandon Edwin Williams''' on May 28, 1962) is an American musician, actor, editor and consultant. He is best known as a child actor for his role as Eddie Corbett, son of widower Tom Corbett (played by [[Bill Bixby]]), on the television series ''[[The Courtship of Eddie's Father (TV series)|The Courtship of Eddie's Father]]''. Cruz is also a [[punk rock]] musician, having sung for bands such as [[Dr. Know (band)|Dr. Know]] and the reunited version of the [[Dead Kennedys]].

==Early life==
Cruz was born in [[Bakersfield, California]], U.S., to Mexican-American parents.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gross |first=Ed |date=2019-06-26 |title=Brandon Cruz Fights to Keep His Friend Bill Bixby's Memory Alive |url=https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/bill-bixby-brandon-cruz/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Closer Weekly |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lustig |first=David |date=1992-01-02 |title=Shedding Old Roles : Brandon Cruz, who acted in 'The Courtship of Eddie's Father,' now turns his energy toward skateboarding and punk music. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-01-02-vl-7537-story.html |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> When he was two months old, the family moved to [[Silver Strand Beach]] in [[Oxnard, California]].<ref name="Gross 2019">{{cite web | last=Gross | first=Ed | title='Courtship of Eddie's Father' At 50: Bill Bixby and Others Look Back | website=Closer Weekly | date=September 18, 2019 | url=https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/the-courtship-of-eddies-father-bill-bixby-and-brandon-cruz-remember/ | access-date=June 6, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Barbara |date=1993-02-11 |title=VENTURA : Ex-Child Actor Gets Probation and Fine |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-02-11-me-1364-story.html |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Brandon Cruz Know Interview |url=https://www.paradigmzine.com/brandon-cruz-know-interview |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=Paradigm Zine |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:Courtship of Eddies Father 1969.JPG|thumb|190px|right|Cruz (center) with ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father'' co-stars [[Bill Bixby]] and [[Miyoshi Umeki]]]]

==Career==
===Acting===
At age seven, he auditioned for and won his breakthrough role as Eddie Corbett in the television series ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father'', which aired from 1969 to 1972. Co-star [[Bill Bixby]] and Cruz spent considerable time together, especially when the show was on hiatus, prompting Cruz to tell ''American Profile'' magazine "Bill Bixby was like my second father."<ref name=americanprofile>{{cite magazine| magazine= American Profile| title= Celebrity Q&A| date= December 27, 2011| publisher= Publishing Group of America| page=}}</ref> Cruz is the last living cast member of the series following co-star [[Kristina Holland]]’s death in 2023.

Cruz continued as a child actor for several years following the cancellation of ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father'' with a number of guest appearances in television shows like ''[[Kung Fu (1972 TV series)|Kung Fu]]'', ''[[Gunsmoke]]'', and ''[[The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series)|The Incredible Hulk]]''—which reunited him on-screen with Bixby. Cruz also played the role of Joey Turner in the 1976 movie ''[[The Bad News Bears]]''.<ref name= sitcombio>{{cite web|url=http://www.sitcomsonline.com/brandoncruz.html|title=Brandon Cruz biography |publisher= | website= SitcomsOnline.com|year=2005|access-date=January 16, 2012}}</ref>

===Music===
Cruz turned his attention to punk rock in the late 1970s, and in 1981 was performing with the [[hardcore punk]] band [[Dr. Know (band)|Dr. Know]]. The group released several records, and after a name change to KNOW, toured Europe in 2017. Cruz also was the lead vocalist with [[Dead Kennedys]] from 2001 until 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flixster.com/celebrity/brandon-cruz/|title=Brandon Cruz Biography| publisher= | website= Flixster.com|year=2010|access-date=January 16, 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120129092953/http://www.flixster.com/celebrity/brandon-cruz/|archive-date=January 29, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Cruz was interviewed in the documentary ''[[American Hardcore (film)|American Hardcore: The History of American Punk Rock, 1980–1986]]''. Reflecting on life after being a child star, which has brought tragedy to so many others, Cruz told ''American Profile'' "Surfing and punk rock probably saved my life."<ref name=americanprofile /> [[Dr. Know (band)|Dr. Know]] still plays shows. They are writing a new album and will tour the world in 2024.

===Editing===
Cruz has worked behind-the-scenes in television and film, such as an assistant editor on the animated series ''[[South Park]]''.<ref name=sitcombio /><ref name= TVG-now>{{cite web| url= https://www.tvguide.com/magazine/issues/000605/magftr1.asp | url-status= dead |title= Where Are They Now?| work= [[TV Guide]]| publisher= | date= January 15, 2002| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20020115060258/https://www.tvguide.com/magazine/issues/000605/magftr1.asp| archivedate= January 15, 2002| access-date= May 24, 2023}}</ref> He later worked for the [[United Paramount Network]], the [[Discovery Channel]] and ''[[American Chopper]]''.<ref name= Where>{{cite web| url= https://www.sitcomsonline.com/eddiesfatherwhere.html |title= Biographies/Where are they now? |publisher= | website= SitcomsOnline.com | date= 2004| access-date= May 24, 2023}}</ref>

==Honors and awards==
In 1991, Cruz was honored by the [[Young Artist Award|Young Artist Foundation]] with its [[Young Artist Former Child Star Lifetime Achievement Award]] for his role as Eddie on ''The Courtship of Eddie's Father''.<ref name="Young Artist Awards 13">{{cite web| url= http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms13.htm|title=13th Annual Youth in Film Awards| access-date=March 31, 2011|work=YoungArtistAwards.org}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Cruz and nurse Elizabeth "Liz" Finkelstein<ref name= TVG-now /><ref name= Where /> were married in 1994. They divorced in 2018. They have a son, Lincoln Bixby Cruz (born 1995), and a daughter, actress [[Ruby Cruz|Ruby Jean Cruz]] (born 2000).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.tvbanter.net/2021/10/keeping-up-with-brandon-cruz-from-child.html | title=Keeping up with Brandon Cruz: From child star to punk rocker }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Joanne |title=Keeping up with Brandon Cruz: From child star to punk rocker |url=http://www.tvbanter.net/2021/10/keeping-up-with-brandon-cruz-from-child.html |access-date=September 13, 2023 |language=en}}</ref> Cruz now works as a consultant to people suffering from addictions and is [[Buddhism|a practicing Buddhist]]. A book on his life is in the early stages.

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1969
| ''[[80 Steps to Jonah]]''
| Little Joe
|-
| 1969–1972
| ''[[The Courtship of Eddie's Father (TV series)|The Courtship of Eddie's Father]]''
| Eddie Corbett
| 73 episodes
|-
| 1970
| ''But I Don't Want to Get Married!''
| Bernard 
| Television movie
|-
| 1972
| ''[[Gunsmoke]]''
| Jimmy Morgan
| Episode: "The Drummer"
|-
| 1972
| ''[[Kung Fu (1972 TV series)|Kung Fu]]''
| Peter Gideon
| Season 1, Episode 1: "King of the Mountain"
|-
| 1973
| ''[[Medical Center (TV series)|Medical Center]]''
| Mooch
| Episode: "Night Cry"
|-
| 1973
| ''The Going Up of David Lev''
| David 
| Television movie
|-
| 1973
| ''[[Love, American Style]]''
| Ernie
| Segment "Love and the Unsteady Steady"
|-
| 1974
| ''Family Theatre: Married Is Better''
| 
| Television movie
|-
| 1974
| ''[[Police Story (1973 TV series)|Police Story]]''
| Victor Rollins
| Episode: "Cop in the Middle"
|-
| 1974
| ''Doc Elliot''
| Robert Wells
| Episode: "A Time to Grow"
|-
| 1976
| ''[[The Bad News Bears]]''
| Joey Turner
|
|-
| 1976
| ''Jeremiah of Jacob's Neck''
| Clay Rankin 
| Television movie
|-
| 1976
| ''[[ABC Afterschool Special]]''
| Benny Singleton
| Episode: "Mighty Moose and the Quarterback Kid"
|-
| 1978
| ''[[The One and Only (1978 film)|The One and Only]]''
| Sherman
|
|-
| 1978
| ''[[The Incredible Hulk (1978 TV series)|The Incredible Hulk]]''
| Kevin
| Episode: "747"
|-
| 1995
| ''[[Safe (1995 film)|Safe]]''
| Steve
|
|-
| 1997
| ''Jesus Rides Shotgun''
| Chintz 
|
|-
| 1998
| ''[[Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction]]''
|
| Episode: "The Card Game"
|-
| 2004
| ''Eddie's Father''
| Slice
| 
|-
| 2012
| ''[[The Lords of Salem (film)|The Lords of Salem]]''
| Ted Delta 
|
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0190261}}

{{Dead Kennedys}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cruz, Brandon Erwin}}
[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:21st-century American singers]]
[[Category:American male child actors]]
[[Category:American male singers]]
[[Category:American people of Mexican descent]]
[[Category:American punk rock singers]]
[[Category:Dead Kennedys members]]
[[Category:Hispanic and Latino American actors]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Male actors from Bakersfield, California]]
[[Category:Musicians from Oxnard, California]]
[[Category:Singers from California]]