Lauren Chapin

Lauren Ann Chapin (May 23, 1945 – February 24, 2026) was an American actress who played the role of the youngest child "Kathy Anderson" (nicknamed "Kitten") on the television show Father Knows Best between 1954 and 1960.

She appeared in 196 episodes of the 203 in the series.

Chapin was awarded five Junior Emmys for Best Child Actress. Two of her older brothers were also child stars, Billy and Michael Chapin.

Career

Chapin had roles in A Star Is Born (1954), The Bob Hope Show (1954), The Ed Sullivan Show (1958), The Amorous Adventures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza (1976), Scout's Honor (1980), The 36th Prime Time Emmy Awards (1984), and School Bus Diaries (2016).

Personal life

In the early 1980s, Chapin taught natural childbirth and worked for a brokerage firm. She later owned two beauty pageant enterprises and helped manage and start the career of Jennifer Love Hewitt. In 1989, she wrote an autobiography, Father Does Know Best: The Lauren Chapin Story. She was a licensed and ordained evangelist and advocate for Israel.

Relatives

Billy Chapin (brother)
Michael Chapin (brother)