- Name: Karen Sue Trent
- Date of birth: March 14, 1948
- Age: 76
- Place of birth: West Virginia, United States
- Nationality: American
- Education: NA
- Parents: NA
- Height: NA
- Occupation: Actress
- Years active: 1954 to 1963
- Net worth: NA
Though Karen Sue Trent had quite a short-lived career as an actress, she left an impression that has followed her to date. Her only acting credits began and ended from the mid-1950s to the early 1960s but within that short period, even as a child actress, she set a record as the first and only child star with a major role in a naturist film. That record is yet to be broken. Before the ’50s wrapped up, her career appeared to be picking up steam until an unfortunate incident caused Sue Trent to draw the curtain on her acting career. More facts about why the actress took a final bow so early in her career are available as you keep reading.
Who is Karen Sue Trent and how old is she?
Karen is an American actress of White background. She is currently 76 years old as her date of birth is given as the 14th of March in 1948. The actress was born in the city of West Virginia, United States of America, and this was where she probably spent her formative years with family members whose identity we are yet to unravel.
Probably because her stint in the limelight was cut short, early life details and information about the schools the former actress attended have not been made public. However, one thing we are sure of is that she started acting as a child, setting a record that is yet to be broken.
Karen Sue Trent and Jerry Mathers in Leave it to Beaver – image source
Garden of Eden (1954) was her first film credit – career timeline of Karen Sue Trent
Trent began her career most unusually, playing a major role in a naturist film. She portrayed the character of Joan Latimore in Garden of Eden (1954). She was barely six years old at the time and did a pretty good job on the role. Directed by Max Nosseck, Garden of Eden, as the name already suggests, is a nudist film with Walter Bibo and Norval E. Packwood serving as co-producers.
She seemed to have impressed directors as she bagged back-to-back roles afterward. The next role was in the TV series Matinee Theatre in 1957 and the next year, two roles followed in more TV series. She later played an uncredited role in Wagon Train, a TV series where she was seen in 1959.
Her most popular role so far came in 1960 on the set of Leave It to Beaver. She played Penny Woods from 1960 to 1962, gaining more prominence through her performance in 14 episodes of the show. Jerry Mathers played Theodore “The Beaver” Cleaver in the TV series. Sadly, her last known role came the next year and while playing it, she made up her mind to quit.
The real reason Karen Sue Trent stopped acting
Her last known role was as Lorrie in the TV series The Rifleman in which she appeared in 1963. At this time, Trent was fast growing into a beautiful young woman but her career was soon cut short. It has been revealed that a life-threatening incident on the set of The Rifleman led to Trent’s decision to give up acting.
The incident happened while she was playing the part of a young girl sinking in quicksand. While she didn’t drown in the quicksand, Trent sustained some injuries, causing a change of mind about the career path she wanted.
Is Karen Sue Trent still alive?
If you have tasted the waters of fame before disappearing from the radar for donkey years, you might find yourself getting entangled in death rumors and more. Karen has been missing from the screen for decades but she is still alive. Nobody is sure of what she has been up to all these years but she is now 76 which translates to retirement for most people.
As a septuagenarian, Karen is probably enjoying her retirement days in a quiet place surrounded by friends and family. Whatever the case may be, she doesn’t look like she’s coming back to film sets anytime again.
Read Also: Why Did Rachael Ancheril Leave Star Trek: Discovery? Age and Bio of the Actress
Karen Sue Trent’s movies and TV shows
TV series
- Matinee Theatre (1957)
- Death Valley Days as Hattie Meek (1958)
- Shirley Temple’s Storybook (1958)
- Wagon Train as Oma Jean (1959)
- Leave It to Beaver as Penny Woods / Cowgirl (1960-1962)
- The Riffleman as Lorrie (1963)
Movies
- Garden of Eden as Joan Latimore (1954)