Actor Willie Aames

Celebrities, Celebrity Q&A, People
on February 15, 2004
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What is actor Willie Aames doing now?
—Ginny S., Virginia

Aames, 42, has traded places and is now working behind the camera, most recently as the creator of The Missy Files, a "feel-good dramedy" video series for young girls. "Missy Shannon is part Cyndi Lauper, part Anne of Green Gables," says Aames, who is best known for his starring roles on Eight Is Enough, Charles in Charge and the Bibleman Adventure. "She is the heroine that today's girl can appreciate." Aames got the idea for Missy after attending several Christian artists' concerts. "Missy was born from a desire to create a show that profiled a "modern Christian" girl: one who may seem far from conservative on the outside but was spiritually solid on the inside. It eventually began to take on several personality traits, ones I hoped would make the character more intelligent." The videos feature his wife, Maylo McCaslin-Aames, and daughter, Harleigh Jean Upton. "They understood every aspect of the production and I fell more in love with both of them," he says. "Working together as a family was probably my most rewarding work." Aames, who also has a son from a previous marriage, lives in Kansas City, Kan. "Home is a biggie for me. I love to woodwork, making furniture and patio structures for our home. Hunting and fishing are also big on my list."