Tony Dow (born April 13, 1945 in Hollywood, California, USA) was an American child actor and has also been a producer and director. He is probably best known for his role in Leave it to Beaver (1957-1963), in which he starred as Wally Cleaver in a somewhat ideal family. The show became a favorite among families, and continues to be aired as a television syndication show to this day.
Tony Dow won the role of Wally Cleaver in a casting cattle call with almost no previous acting experience. Dow's post-Beaver years were busy with roles on a number of TV shows, including the soaps Never Too Young and General Hospital and guest spots on many 60's episodic shows like Mr. Novak and Dr. Kildare.
Dow eventually went into the construction business in addition to studying journalism and filmmaking. In recent years he has acted occasionally (most notably in Beaver reunions), and has become quite successful behind the scenes as a producer and director. Recently Dow has directed episodes of USA Network's series Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family.
