Who is Missy Gold?
Melissa Fisher was born on 14 July 1970, in Great Falls, Montana, USA, and is a psychologist as well as a former child actress, best known for her role in the television sitcom “Benson” in which she portrayed Katie Gatling, the daughter of the governor. She appeared in several other shows during the 1970s and 1980s, before retiring from the profession.
The Riches of Missy Gold
As of mid-2020, Missy Gold’s net worth is estimated to be over $400,000, earned through success in her various endeavors. While she earned significant income with her work as an actress, she also earns highly as a licensed psychologist.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Missy grew up in Great Falls alongside an older sister. Her parents divorced when she was young, and their mother later remarried, with the two children being legally adopted and so changing their surname to Goldstein, hence Missy’s stage name. They later had two half-siblings from their mother’s remarriage. The children would aspire to and later pursue acting careers, appearing in various shows.
One of her earliest projects was the show “Eight is Enough” which aired on ABC during the late 1980s. The series was based on the autobiography of journalist Tom Braden, who lived with eight children.
He was a popular personality at the time, working with CNN and also serving as a member of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Afterwards, she made an appearance in “Fantasy Island” which also aired on ABC, telling the story of a mysterious island in the Pacific Ocean where people often experience their fantasies, unknowing of the fact that these fantasies come at a price. The show was very popular at the time, and ran for seven series between 1978 and ‘84.
Continued Acting Work and Benson
Another appearance Gold had was in “The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries”, which are based on the writings of Edward Stratemeyer who created the characters, though many other writers worked on the stories as ghostwriters.
The series combined two of his most popular novel series, starring Shaun Cassidy, Pamela Sue Martin and Parker Stevenson. The show often dealt with the characters individually until their stories eventually crossed one another. Nancy Drew was then later dropped to focus more on the Hardy Boys.
Her next project would be in the medical series “Trapper John, MD”, which is a spin-off from the film “M.A.S.H,”. The film starred Pernell Roberts as the titular surgeon who resides in San Francisco, California, having portrayed the role in the original film. A television version of “MASH” was later created though he was not recast in that.
Then came Gold’s biggest project during her childhood career, in “Benson”, which she was a part of for its entire run. The show is about the titular character played by Robert Guillaume, who previously played the role in “Soap”. The difference this show had was that it avoided its soap opera roots, and opted for a sitcom structure, which proved very popular during its time. She even won an award for her performance, but it wasn’t enough to sway her to continue as an actress. Shortly after the show ended, she focused on her education, and retired for good.
Life After Acting
Missy completed her high school education, and then enrolled into Georgetown University intending to pursue a career in the medical field. The university is located in Washington, DC, and is a highly selective school, only choosing around 15 percent of those applying. The university is known for being highly-independent, with most of its institutions run by students.
During her time there, she developed an interest in psychology, which she later pursued and moved to California to enroll at the California School of Professional Psychology, desiring to earn a Ph.D. in that particular field.
CSPP is responsible for training more than half of the professional psychologists working in California, focusing on various aspects of psychology such as clinical, family, marriage, and psychopharmacology. After completing her degree, she began a practice at Saint Helena, California, where she continues to work today.
Sister – Tracey Gold
Like Missy, her older sister Tracey pursued acting as a child, though she stayed for much longer in acting, even up to her late 40s. She grew to fame during the 1980s when she became a part of the sitcom “Growing Pains”, in which she portrayed Carol Seaver. The show focuses on the lives of the Seaver family who live in Long Island, New York, and was very successful, leading to many nominations and awards during its entire run.
She was also present during the reunion movies – “The Growing Pains Movie” and “Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers”.
During her adult career, she mainly did television movies, some of which include “Stephen King’s Dead Zone”, “She’s No Angel”, and “Final Approach”. She also had a few film projects though only in minor roles, including in “What’s the Worst that Could Happen?” and “All Hallows’ Eve”.
She’s also known for her struggle with anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder that nearly killed her, as it led to a drastic decrease in her weight, She became addicted to dieting, and increasingly obsessed with the effects of food on her, even resorting to vomiting at times.
After being cured of the disease, she now speaks in various engagements, warning others about the dangers of anorexia.
Personal Life
Missy is married, and is now Dr. Melissa Gold Wiedmann, though very little information is available about her partner. It is not known if she has any children, but it is likely as her work is often focused on children to adults. She specializes in individual therapy and has dedicated most of her life to various disorders developed as a result of stressful events. She often deals with postpartum patients, those with eating or anxiety disorders. Part of her career was rooted in her experiences with her sister, Tracey who battled with anorexia for a good part of her career.
, Wikipedia