Former teen idol Shaun Cassidy has offered a candid reflection on his late father, Broadway and television star Jack Cassidy, describing him as a “phony” who was more of a showman than a parent.
In a recent interview, Shaun, who rose to fame in the 1970s, said he and his brothers, including actor Patrick and the late David Cassidy, saw through their father’s carefully constructed façade. “My dad was so complicated,” the 67-year-old shared. “He basically invented this public persona with an accent that didn’t exist in any country ever.”
Shaun recalled how his New York-born father, who was expected to join his family’s railroad business, adopted a theatrical, borderline British accent for his public appearances after finding fame. “Patrick and Ryan and I would be like, ‘What is up with this dude?’” Shaun explained. “It seemed so phony to us. I’m not sure he ever really figured out who he was.”
Growing up with famous parents—Jack and Oscar-winning actress Shirley Jones—Shaun said the public’s image of a picture-perfect Hollywood family was far from reality. “If you grow up in a family of show folk, everything is very presentational,” he noted. He described a childhood where his parents were often absent, leaving him and his friends to navigate their unconventional lives together. “I have a whole friend group, kids, we were like Peanuts,” he said. “The parents weren’t around.”
This circle included other children of celebrities like his neighbor, Carrie Fisher. “We all got through it with challenges, for sure,” he reflected. “We not only survived but thrived, and I think we looked after each other.”
Shaun’s own stardom in the late ’70s reportedly caused “resentment” in his father and older brother David. “My father was always frustrated—married to a woman much more famous, then his son became more famous than he was,” Shaun said. He also contrasted his own gratitude for his success with David’s struggle to be seen as a serious artist beyond his “Partridge Family” role. “He was like, ‘No, no, no, I’m not Keith Partridge. I’m Jimi Hendrix!’” Shaun recalled. “I was like, ‘Dude, you’re a character on a television show. It’s a big hit. America loves you. There could be worse fates.’”
Jack Cassidy died in an apartment fire in 1976 at the age of 49. Despite their difficult relationship, Shaun holds a nuanced perspective. “He was not a good father, and I don’t say that with disrespect. I just say it with objectivity,” he stated. “And yet I wouldn’t have traded him for the world. I got so many gifts from him.”
Today, Shaun cherishes his relationship with his mother, Shirley Jones, now 91 and in good health. He described the opportunity to care for her as a gift. “What a gift that this woman, who took such great care of me under extraordinary circumstances… I’m now in the position to be able to take care of her,” he said, adding that her positive spirit remains strong. “She’s such like a little joy balloon to be around that it’s only a win for me. So, I’m not sure who’s caring for who.”
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