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Former teen idol Shaun Cassidy called out his late father, Broadway and television star Jack Cassidy, as a “phony,” saying he was more showman than parent.
Shaun — a former teen heartthrob who rose to fame in the 1970s — said he and his half-brothers, including actor Patrick and the late David, saw through their father’s carefully constructed façade.
“My dad was so complicated,” Shaun, now 67, said during an interview with People.
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Former teen idol Shaun Cassidy says his Broadway star father, Jack Cassidy, invented a fake accent that “didn’t exist in any country ever.” (Bettman/Getty Images)
“He basically invented this public persona with an accent that didn’t exist in any country ever,” Shaun said.
The “He & She” actor, born in New York City, was expected to join his family’s railroad business — until a life-changing Broadway show at age 14 set him on a new path.
As his fame grew, Jack began making the rounds on talk shows and often spoke in a theatrical, borderline British accent that left his kids stunned.
Shaun recalled how he and his brothers often questioned their father’s over-the-top public persona.
“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.”
Jack Cassidy photographed at Philharmonic Hall, where he appeared for Cue Magazine’s salute to ASCAP in honor of America’s leading composers, on May 1, 1966. (Bettmann / Contributor / Getty Images)
Jack died in an apartment fire in 1976 at the age of 49.
Despite their complicated relationship, Shaun — who was just 18 at the time — said he has learned to hold space for both the pain and the gifts his father left behind.
“He was not a good father — and I don’t say that with disrespect. I just say it with objectivity,” he said. “And yet I wouldn’t have traded him for the world. I got so many gifts from him, so many.”
American actress and singer Shirley Jones, alongside her husband, actor and singer Jack Cassidy, circa 1972. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Shaun told People that growing up in the spotlight wasn’t all glitz and glam.
He reflected on his own childhood in the spotlight with his famous parents — “W.C. Fields and Me” star Jack and Oscar winner Shirley Jones.
Shaun admitted the world saw a picture-perfect Hollywood couple, but the reality at home was drastically different.
“Who they really are is not how they’re perceived by the public anyway. The public has an idea of who they are. If you grow up in a family of show folk, everything is very presentational.”
“Who they really are is not how they’re perceived by the public anyway. The public has an idea of who they are,” Shaun said. “If you grow up in a family of show folk, everything is very presentational.”
Behind the scenes, Shaun said his father was largely absent during his formative years.
“I didn’t get the dad who went to my Little League games or took me on camping trips or any of that stuff. My mom did,” he said.
Still, Shirley, best known for her role on “The Partridge Family” — was often pulled away by her own career.
“The Partridge Family” stars Shirley Jones, Brian Forster, Suzanne Crough, Susan Dey, Danny Bonaduce and David Cassidy pose leaning out of the windows of a bus in a group portrait circa 1973. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
“My mom showed up for a lot of that stuff, but she was also gone a lot. She was making movies around the world,” he shared.
“I think one of the reasons she took ‘The Partridge Family’ job is because she wanted to be close to home.”
Jack and Shirley married in 1956 and divorced in 1975.
Shaun said he essentially raised himself while his parents were busy with their careers.
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Shaun Cassidy is launching his first major tour in 45 years. ( John Atashian/Getty Images; Brad Elterman/Getty Images)
“I have a whole friend group, kids, we were like Peanuts,” Shaun told People, as he referenced the iconic comic strip. “The parents weren’t around.”
Shaun found comfort with other Hollywood kids who were navigating the same chaotic lifestyle.
“And yet all of us had similar backgrounds,” he continued. “I mean, Carrie Fisher was two doors down, and she was a good pal of mine.”
“We all got through it with challenges, for sure. We not only survived but thrived, and I think we looked after each other.”
While Shaun rose to fame in the late ‘70s as a teen idol with hits like “Da Doo Ron Ron,” he eventually stepped away from the spotlight.
Shaun Cassidy rose to fame in the late ‘70s as a teen idol with hits like “Da Doo Ron Ron.” He eventually stepped away from the spotlight. ( Brad Elterman/FilmMagic)
In the ‘90s, he pivoted to a new chapter — working behind the scenes as a successful television writer and producer.
The “That’s Rock ’n’ Roll” singer admitted that fame caused “resentment” in his father and brother David, as he echoed similar sentiments in an AARP interview.
The former teen idol said both his father and older brother, David, struggled with his rising stardom.
“My father was always frustrated: married to a woman much more famous, then his son became more famous than he was.”
“My father was always frustrated: married to a woman much more famous, then his son became more famous than he was,” Shaun told AARP.
“Instead of just being proud — ‘That’s my boy, that’s my wife’ — he had resentment, which tortured him and us.”
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Shaun also opened up about David, who starred in “The Partridge Family” and became a global sensation in the ’70s.
“David had this chip on his shoulder,” he said. “We had similar early careers, yet I looked at it as, ‘Oh, I won the lottery. Now what will I do?’”
But for David, the fame came with a struggle to be seen beyond his breakout role.
“He was like, ‘No, no, no, I’m not Keith Partridge. I’m Jimi Hendrix!’” Shaun recalled.
A young David Cassidy performs at Melbourne Cricket Grounds in Australia in 1974. (Henry Diltz/A&E Network)
“And 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.’”
Looking back, Shaun said he always hoped his brother could find peace in his talent and success.
“Why don’t you just enjoy it and trust that you will have the talent and fortitude to do other things? And he did, later in life,” he noted.
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Shaun rose to fame in the late 1970s to early 1980s as both a teen idol and entertainer.
He released a series of pop albums that appealed to a teen audience.
His 1977 debut album, “Shaun Cassidy,” featured the No. 1 hit “Da Doo Ron Ron.” He also starred as Joe Hardy in ABC’s “The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries.”
By the mid-1990s, he had shifted almost entirely to producing, launching series including “American Gothic,” “Roar” and “New Amsterdam.”
Today, Shaun is cherishing time with his mother. Jones, now 91, is still in good health.
Actress Shirley Jones poses for a portrait at her home in Los Angeles in July 2013. (A2013)
“I have read about people who say, ‘We’re taking care of our kids still, and now we’re taking care of our parents because they’re living longer — oh, what a burden!’” Shaun told AARP.
“And I have not found that to be the case at all. In fact, actually the opposite.”
The former teen idol said being there for the Oscar-winning “Partridge Family” star felt like a full-circle moment.
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Shaun Cassidy said being there for his mother, now 91, felt like a full-circle moment. (Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)
“What a gift that this woman, who took such great care of me under extraordinary circumstances, often, I’m now in the position to be able to take care of her.”
Shaun insisted his mother requires only a small amount of care.
“Make no mistake, my mother only needs a little help,” he said. “Even at 91, she’s in very good health.”
Though her memory isn’t what it once was — “like, you know, so is mine,” he joked — Jones’ spirit remains intact.
“She’s so positive all the time and so optimistic. 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.”