Andrea Fay Friedman, groundbreaking “Life Goes On” star, dies at 53

The actress also appeared on "Family Guy," "Baywatch," "7th Heaven," and "ER."

Andrea Fay Friedman, the actress who broke ground with her portrayal of Amanda Swanson in the hit TV drama Life Goes On, died on Dec. 3 at her home in Santa Monica. She was 53.

Her father, Hal Friedman, confirmed the news to The New York Times on Thursday, revealing that she died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease, which is common in people with Down syndrome over the age of 50. He also said she had been unable to speak for the past year due to the disease.

Born on June 1, 1970, in Santa Monica, Friedman would go on to make significant contributions to onscreen representation for people with Down syndrome. Her breakout role in Life Goes On came in 1992, when she played the girlfriend and eventual wife of its main character, Charles “Corky” Thatcher, who also had Down syndrome. The show was the first major series to feature not one, but two characters with Down syndrome.

Friedman appeared in the drama, which also starred Patti LuPone, Chris Burke, and Kellie Martin, for two years. From there, she spent her career challenging stigmas with humor and using her platform to educate the world about people with Down syndrome.

In a 2010 episode of Family Guy, she played Ellen, a girl with Down syndrome who dates Chris Griffin (voiced by Seth Green). The role poked fun at erstwhile Alaska governor Sarah Palin, with Friedman’s character saying at one point, “My dad’s an accountant and my mom is the former governor of Alaska.” Palin, whose son Trig has Down syndrome, later said the show “isn’t funny” and that the episode was the result of “cruel, cold-hearted people,” to which Friedman responded in an email to The New York Times, “I guess former Governor Palin does not have a sense of humor. I think the word is ‘sarcasm.’”

Friedman argued that representation for the Down syndrome community should serve as an inspiration, adding, “In my family we think laughing is good. My parents raised me to have a sense of humor and to live a normal life.”

Friedman's other TV credits include episodes of Baywatch, Touched by an Angel, Chicago Hope, 7th Heaven, and ER.  She was also the subject of the 2009 documentary A Possible Dream: The Andrea Friedman Story. The actress made her final onscreen appearance in the 2019 holiday drama Carol of the Bells.

Beyond acting, she served as an assistant teacher at UCLA’s Pathways program, where she worked with students with intellectual disabilities. She is survived by her sister, her brother-in-law, her two nephews, and her father.

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