Even if it’s been years since you last watched Growing Pains, Chrissy Seaver—the curly-haired youngest member of the family—likely remains memorable. Introduced in the later seasons, the role of Chrissy was first played by a pair of infant twins, then by another set of twins during her toddler years, before child actor Ashley Johnson took over for the final two seasons.
Reflecting on the role in an interview with Today, Johnson said, “At that age, Chrissy wasn’t that different from me. I didn’t really know how to build a character, so she was just your annoying little sister. But I had fun with her and loved being on set.”
Now 38, Johnson has moved beyond her Growing Pains days—though fans still recognize her—and continues to work in the entertainment industry.
She kept acting into adulthood.
Johnson maintained a steady acting career after Growing Pains, appearing in films like What Women Want, The Help, The Avengers, and Much Ado About Nothing. On television, she starred in Blindspot from 2015 to 2020 and has guest-starred on shows including The Killing, Providence, Roswell, and Drunk History. She is also active in the role-playing web series Critical Role.
She’s a prolific voice actor.
Johnson has lent her voice to animated series such as Recess, King of the Hill, and Teen Titans, as well as video games like The Last of Us and Minecraft: Story Mode. She even performs in motion capture suits for video games, which she describes as an immersive way to bring characters to life.
Her personal life.
Johnson has been in a long-term relationship with Brian W. Foster for nine years, noting on Instagram that she feels lucky to have him.
Fond memories of her childhood on set.
Reflecting on her time on Growing Pains, Johnson said the cast felt like a second family. “People connected with the Seavers because they felt like a real family,” she told Today in 2019. She also mentioned that fans often recognize her but don’t immediately place where they know her from, likely because she was so young at the time.
