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Barbara Billingsley had no idea Leave It to Beaver would become such a success
"We had no idea what was ahead."
Playing June Cleaver didn’t just give Barbara Billingsley a straight avenue into the hearts of audiences everywhere; the series made her America’s official Mother.
“I’m always busy at Mother’s Day,” said the Leave It to Beaver star during an interview with the Scripps Howard News Service. “And I have two sons and three stepchildren and 16 grandchildren, so I had a lot of flowers. It looked like I was going to be laid out.”
Originally, Billingsley revealed that the only reason she was able to star in the popular sitcom was that an earlier role fell through.
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Though Billingsley believed fate brought her to the role of June Cleaver, she had no idea just how impactful the series would become.
“We knew we were making a good show, because it was so well written,” said the actor. “But we had no idea what was ahead. People still talk to me about it and write letters, telling me how they watch it today with their children and grandchildren.”
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