80s actor Willie Aames, star of Eight Is Enough and Charles in Charge, hit rock bottom after fame... see him now at 65

Willie Aames, who is known for his role in the series Eight is Enough, stepped out for a rare outing this week in Los Angeles.

The actor kicked off his entertainment career as a child star in the early 70s.

He took on minor roles in a number of shows such as Gunsmoke, ABC Afterschool Special and The Waltons throughout the decade.

Aames additionally was cast in films such as Scavenger Hunt (1979), Paradise (1982) and Zapped! (1982).

The star has also been candid about his past alcohol addiction and financial woes during the Great Recession which began in 2007.  

And while he is still keeping busy in the industry, see the actor now at 65. 

Aames was seen on a rare excursion in L.A. on Wednesday as he sported a short-sleeved, black shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. 

The star additionally slipped into a pair of comfy sneakers and carried a water bottle in his hand. 

The California native was born in Newport Beach in 1960 and began acting when he was just a child. 

His first professional acting credit was an episode of The Odd Couple which aired in 1971. 

Aames went on to appear in other shows including Gunsmoke, Adam's Rib, Adam-12, We'll Get By and Swiss Family Robinson. 

The actor portrayed T.J. Latimer in the series Family before being cast as Tommy Bradford in the ABC show Eight Is Enough from 1977 through 1981. 

He had starred alongside Dick Van Patten, Diana Hyland, Betty Buckley, Grant Goodeve, Lani O'Grady, Laurie Walters, Adam Rich and Susan Richardson. 

After his run on the show, Aames continued to appear in projects such as the series The Edge Of Night in 1983 and voiced the character Hank the Ranger in the animated series Dungeons & Dragons (1983-1985). 

Beginning in 1984, the star took on the role of Buddy in the CBS sitcom titled Charles In Charge. 

Aames was notably one of the main characters on all five seasons of the show which concluded in 1990. 

He once again stepped behind the camera to voice the titular character in the animated series Bibleman (1995-2004). 

After a small break from acting which started in 2007, Aames was cast in the Hallmark TV movie Harvest Moon (2015). 

The actor has been cast in other Hallmark projects including Every Christmas Has A Story (2016) and Love On The Menu (2019). His most recent acting credit was the 2026 movie Armageddon Road. 

And while the star has been active in the industry most of his life, Aames previously faced financial woes in the late 2000s. 

During an interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2009, the actor got candid about the topic. 

'At the very peak [of Eight Is Enough] I was making a little over a million dollars a year,' he recalled to the publication at the time. 

'Then suddenly there was no job, no bank account, no wife, no child. I never dreamt it could happen that fast. I found myself virtually homeless.'

Aames expressed that he had to live with close pals but also 'slept in parking garages or slept in the park.'

'It was shameful. I remember laying underneath the bushes thinking, "Is this how it turns out? Is this how my life really turns out?"' 

And while talking to Studio 10 in 2017, Aames discussed the turning point in his life in his late 40s. 

'I lost everything. At one point I went from eating at the White House to sleeping in the bushes and brought myself back again.' 

He continued, 'Nobody gave me a hand up. I mean, you know, I was sleeping in the bushes at the Hollywood Bowl at one point, homeless, lost everything.

'I had to sit there and go, "Get your BLEEP together. I mean what's the deal? Nobody is going to do it for you."' I had a choice. 

'I could either start over at 47...or choose to be a victim. So, what did I do? I became your favourite celebrity satellite installer and I learnt a trade, and then I went to work on a cruise ship.'

Aames told People in 2023, 'When I started my life over at 48, I had to learn everything new again. I had to learn who I was again. I had to get over all of the past mistakes.' 

The actor was previously married to Vicki Weatherman from 1979 until their divorce five years later. The pair also share a son named Christopher. 

He later tied the knot with second wife Maylo McCaslin in 1986 and they welcomed a child named Harleigh Jean. Their divorce took place in 2009. 

Aames later married Winnie Hung in 2014 after they were initially pen pals for years.  He is also set to celebrate his 66th birthday next month on July 15.